You mean they still make cassettes?

The Standalone Cassette MP3 player would have been incredibly useful back in the early '00s, before we hooked up iPods and iPhones directly to our car (via cassette adapter), but it's still pretty neat now. The body looks and behaves like a standard cassette tape, but has a slot on the bottom for an SD slot filled with MP3s. The only downsides are that it only holds SD cards up to 2GB, needs to be recharged, but at least it can be controlled via your car's head unit.

[Gizmodo via Chinavision via inewidea via Random Good Stuff]

A Different Look At The Music Industry

In the most provocative, innovative, and forward thinking article I have ever read about the RIAA and the music industry, Rob from Demonbaby gives his take on the take down of Oink. If you don't know what Oink is, it was one of the top music donwloading sites before the lawmakers and the RIAA brought it down. But before you form your opinions about the former site, I highly recommend that you read this article that Rob posted.

Rob use to work for the big labels in the 1990s and into the 2000s, and his insight might have you rethinking everything you know about the music industry. And you would be surprised about how he feels about how and what the music industry has evolved into. Please understand that I really don't like long articles, but this one is so necessary for any music fan, that it should be mandatory reading for anyone who's ever purchased a song.

Please!!! Take the 20 minutes and read through this one.

When Pigs Fly: The Death of Oink, the Birth of Dissent, and a Brief History of Record Industry Suicide [Demonbaby via Crunchgear]

Flash Card USB MP3 Player

If you're looking for an alternative MP3 player but you absolutely want something thin and light, check out the Flash Card USB MP3 player from Brando. This guy is a 2GB, credit card size MP3 player that weighs less than an ounce, and looks pretty cool. The cost is $42, and Brando can put what ever logo you prefer (I'm sure for a price).

I bet these would make pretty cool Christmas gifts for the ipod haters out there.

[Brando via Gizmodo]

iRiver Clix (8GB): Hits The Market

iRiver very quietly released their new MP3 player, the 'iRiver Clix' for sale on their website. The 8GB Clix is the second-gen version of their original 2GB and 4GB Clix, but with a different look and a hard shell. At $239, it might be a little to expensive considering the ipod nano is at $199 for the same storage space.

But if you're not a Apple fan, and don't want to fall in with the masses, this might be what you're looking for.

[iRiver via Crave]

Bang & Olufsen MP3 Player: Awe..Come on!

I'm still wondering why someone would put lots of money into something that could be had for a quarter of the price. But if you're a Bang & Olufsen fan that needs to show the world that you have money, than this is for you.

The Beosound 6 is a MP3 player that has 4GB and 24 hours of battery life. No word if it comes with and arm and leg.

Hit the jump to read more. [Electronista via Crunchgear]

Cowon iAudio 7 DAP Brings The Goods

Not everyone on the planet loves the iPod. In fact, there are plenty of people out there who downright hate the popular music player. If you’re one of these types and want an alternative to the iPod Nano, look no further than the iAudio 7 by Cowon. Equipped with either 4GB or 8GB of flash-memory, this DAP features a bright color screen, long battery life (60 hours apparently), and support for multiple audio formats, including FLAC, WAV, OFF, ASF, WMA, and MP3.

Looks like a decent player for audiophiles or users of FLAC. Though it’s an all-around decent looking player, the price kinda sucks! The 4GB version will set you back $187 while the 8GB version comes in at $247.

Read the entire article after the jump. [Akihabara News]

Major in Mac: kinda cool

I have to give it to Apple, they have some pretty good promotions. The 'Major in Mac' promotion is underway, and it looks like a good one.

Eligible students, faulty, staff, etc. who buy a Mac will get a $200 rebate toward the purchase of a 4GB or 8GB iPod nano. You have to buy the Mac from Apple directly or from one of its retail stores or BestBuy, and the like-purchased Mac don’t qualify for the promotion. Major in Mac ends on September 16.

Hmm, how ’bout a shiny new MacBook Pro and black iPod nano? Then you’ll be the koolest kid on campus…

The ipod piano: WTF?

I've always wanted to be able to play the piano, partly because how beautiful they look and sound. But mainly because how classy you look while playing it!!!

So I was a little sick when I saw this crappy named piano called the iQ.

I mean, why invest in a beautiful timeless classic piano when you can have a gimmicky one that you'll be embarrassed of in a year or two? Perfect!!!

This piano comes with an ipod dock and will play your MP3's, it also doubles as a piano. Ya know, sometimes there are things that just don't need to be improved on.

Product page after the jump.

File this one under tacky fad!!!